This page contains a list of free tools for creative self-expression and professional productivity.

Creativity Tools


50 Open Source Tools That Replace Popular Education Apps

AheadLogo.jpg - Create dynamic, non-linear presentations (similar to Prezi) with this flash-based tool


AnimotoLogo.jpg - Upload photos, select your music, and then it will turn them into videos


BeFunkyLogo.jpg - Photo effects


BigHugeLabsLogo.png - Create badges, billboards, CD covers, collages, cubes, jigsaw puzzles, magazine covers, mosaics, movie posters, trading cards, and more


BlabberizeLogo.jpg- Take any image, add a mouth to it, record something for it to say, and watch it become a moving conversationalist!


BookrLogo.jpg - Create free photobooks from copyright-safe Flickr images and a template


BubblejoyLogo.png - Record a short video w/ a webcam, select a card design, share via URL or Twitter

bubblePLY_logo.gif - "Write" on online videos by adding pop-up speech bubbles and effects, then save and play


Create Your Scenario - Generates simple playscripts - especially good for elementary



dabbleboard_logo.png- Collaborative whiteboard


DumprLogo.png - Make coloring books and other interesting things from photos, save as JPEGs and use as illustrations for assignments or worksheets


EdmodoLogo.jpg - Collaborative social community (a la Facebook) for students and teachers in educational settings



FlashpaintLogo.jpg - Flash drawing editor


FotobabbleLogo.jpg- Upload photos, record a message, and share


GliffyLogo.gif - Create diagrams, graphic organizers


GlogsterLogo.jpg - Free, multimedia poster-maker. Set up student accounts for educational use.



GoAnimateLogo.gif - Create animated videos from stock characters, images, music, and effects, or upload your own and lay them in tracks. Students have to type text into Word and then copy and paste it in order to get diacritical marks.


GoogleDocsLogo.gif- Free, online, collaborative suiteof office tools (forms, presentations, spreadsheets, word processing)

wave_logo_product.png- Collaborative software (games, playback, threaded conversations, whiteboard)

HootcourseLogo.jpg - An online community similar to Twitter, but designed for use in education
ImageChefLogo.gif- - Dress up photos with interesting frames and your own captions, then save and share

IssuuLogo.jpg- Create your own, digital magazines



LetterpopLogo.jpg - Create newsletters with photos from templates and host up to 10 online for free at any given time


MixbookLogo.jpg- Create and share photo scrapbooks online (you can also print them)


MotivatorPoster.jpg - Create motivational posters by adding your own photos and text


My Brochure Maker - Brochures


OurStoryLogo.jpg - Create collaborative timelines with text, photos, and videos. You can also choose a type of album, answer questions, and it will generate it for you

PhotopeachLogo.jpg - Create interactive slideshow quizzes and stories

PikistripsLogo.png - Create your own comic strips


PreziLogo.jpg - Create dynamic, non-linear presentations and concept maps


ScrapblogLogo.jpg

SnapshirtsLogo.jpg - Type in text, it generates a tag cloud you can print on t-shirts

solvrlogo.png- Allows threaded brainstorming


StorybirdLogo.gif- Students can select illustrations from real children's picture book illustrators, then use them to illustrate their own, original stories. Diacritical marks must be cut and pasted in (via Word, for example)


stroome-masthead-logo.png - Collaborative video editing


SuperstickiesLogo.png- Put your own text on a Post-it note image


TagxedoLogo.jpg - Upload your text (or the URL of your blog) to make tag clouds in all sorts of very detailed shapes

TagulLogo.png - Make tag (word) clouds in different shapes




ToufeeLogo.gif- Make flash movies for free


TrakAxPcLogo.gif - Free audio/video editing software you can download and use to make mashups


VocarooLogo.gif- Click, record, share


VoicethreadLogo.jpg- Photo stories that allow audio voiceovers and audio comments



VokiLogo.jpg- Speaking avatars


Wallwisher - Collaboratively "graffiti" by posting "stickies" on this online "wall"


WeeblyLogo.gif - Free, online website creation


XtranormalLogo.png - Create mini, animated videos (or greeting cards) from stock elements
  • Camila y Gozo - Sample conversation between 2 roommates made in Xtranormal (in Spanish)


Webquest Generator


WikispacesLogo.pngWikispaces- Make your own wiki!

WixLogo.jpg - Create free flash websites
WordleLogo.png- Make your own tag (word) (Why Wordle?)


ZooburstLogo.jpg- 3D, augmented reality pop-up books




Related Resources



Tech Tools for Personal Productivity



CutePDFLogo.jpg- Create PDFs for free (download the program, the select print, change the printer to CutePDF, and voila!)

DaveSeah.jpg - Printable CEO Series contains printable tracking sheets to improve productivity

DeliciousLogo.jpg- Save your bookmarks (a.k.a. "favorites") online & then access them from any computer

DiigoLogo.jpg- Same as Delicious, but on steroids (allows highlighting and archiving of webpages, social interaction, etc.)

DonorsChooseLogo.gif - Propose a classroom project. Donors can donate to your cause.

EviteLogo.jpg- Design invitations and send them via e-mail. See who has RSVP'd

FirstgivingLogo.gif- Online fundraising . . . quickly create a webpage regarding the cause of your choice, send the link to associates, clients, family, and friends, and track your progress

FoxitLogo.gif- "Write" on the PDFs you save

FundableLogo.gif- Online fundraising: Solicit pledges, people pay via credit card or Paypal, but accounts are not charged until at least $1,000 is raised. Project does not have to be service-oriented


GoogleAlertsLogo.gif- Make information come to you. Set up the alert and it searches the web and delivers updates to you

GoogleDocsLogo.gif- Collaborate with other members of your department or school and easily share information without e-mail

external image logo_sm.gif
Language Tools

GoogleScholarLogo.gif- Search for only scholarly articles
JingLogo.gif- Free screencasting (requires free download)

MediaConvertLogo.png- - Free file conversion from one format to another

MeetingWizardLogo.jpg- Set up meetings, see a grid of people's availability

OnlineStopwatchLogo.gif - Online Stopwatch - Use this to monitor group work, to count down how much "English Break Time" is left, etc.



PandoraLogo.jpg - You select the artist or genre and it generates a station that plays music similar to the style of the selected artist

PlaylistLogo.jpg - Search for songs, save them, and then make the playlist available to your students by giving them the direct link or embedding it into a wiki or website

PicnikLogo.gif- Edit photos online for free




PollEverywhereLogo.jpg - Quickly post a question and watch as the votes change while students text their answers to the poll. You can also download your poll as a PowerPoint slide to include in a presentation

PrioritizerLogo.jpg- Make a "to do" list, it helps you prioritize your tasks through a series of forced choices



RequallLogo.jpg - Leave yourself a 60-second message. It transcribes it and sends the text and audio file to your e-mail and to your online account

Rubistar.jpg- Edit existing rubrics or create your own

SAPLogo.gif- Great PowerPoint tools for soliciting feedback from your audience (including several that integrate with Twitter)

ScribdLogo.png - Upload documents to share with others

SendTabURLsLogo.png
Send Tab URLs Firefox Extension
- Send a list of links from open tabs to yourself or others in an e-mail message with this Firefox extension

SkypeLogo.png- Hold videoconferences with colleagues from around the world for free

SlideshareLogo.gif - Upload ppt presentations to share with others (Example: STARTALK: Developing Teacher Leaders)

SplashupLogo.jpg- - Similar to Photoshop, but free & online

StockXchngLogo.gif- Find copyright safe photos for free that you can use in student projects as well as published or web-based materials

twitter_logo_header.png- A great tool for keeping up with the latest developments in your chosen fields

ViddlerLogo.jpg- Upload up to 500MB of video, then bookmark particular segments within it or allow others to comment on it

WikispacesLogo.pngWikispaces - Use a wiki to remove writer's block--allows you to make continual changes to your text, to move things around, and to keep a constant outline of the various sections of your writing in view via the navigation bar. If you cut a section, but think you might want to use it later? No problem--just make a "parts pile" page, paste the deleted section in, and find it later. Also removes the "Word crashed and I lost everything" phenomenon. Everything you type is captured in the history (as long as you save frequently), and you can always revert to a previous version of the paper if you change your mind midstream. GREAT for collaborative authoring as well.

YouSendItLogo.gif- Send large files to others using this service

YugmaLogo.gif- Free collaborative meeting software (requires download)
ZamzarLogo.jpg- Download and convert YouTube videos

ZoteroLogo.jpg- Maintain an annotated, sharable research library with searchable, printable notes and reports